Surgically implanted support systems and methods have long been employed to immobilize one or more bones, including those that are fractured, broken and/or structurally deteriorated.
Immobilization has been achieved through a variety of known orthopedic devices, such as those pertaining to orthopedic plate and screw assemblies. In general, a surgically implanted orthopedic plate is fixedly attached to one or more bones by threading one or more screws perpendicularly relative to the plane of the plate into corresponding openings of the plate and into the bone. Once the screws have been threaded into the bone(s), the screws serve to collectively anchor the plate to the bone(s). Conventional orthopedic plate and screw assemblies utilize orthopedic plates having two or more openings, and a corresponding number of screws. For example, orthopedic plate and screw assemblies having two, four, six, eight, or ten openings, and the same corresponding number of screws, are in widespread use to treat patients.
Conventional orthopedic plate and screw assemblies can be problematic, in certain patients and in certain situations. For example, oftentimes the proximate area of a bone receiving a screw may not be substantially flat. In such situations, if a surgeon chooses to proceed with anchoring the screw thereto, the screw will enter the bone at an angle that is not substantially perpendicular to the proximate plane of the bone. Generally, the effectiveness and/or anchoring strength of a surgically implanted orthopedic plate and screw assembly may deteriorate over time when the entry angle of one or more of its anchored screws deviates from a substantially perpendicular angle relative to the proximate plane of the bone. Undesirable consequences of such an anchored screw may include adverse near and long term affects to one or more bones, including the eventual loosening and/or backing out of the screw from the bone over time, other adverse affects to existing fractures and/or other pre-existing problematic conditions of one or more bones, and possibly even the causation of new bone fractures and/or other new problematic conditions to one or more bones.
As another example of conventional orthopedic plate and screw assembly problems, one or more anchored screws of a conventional surgically implanted orthopedic plate and screw assembly may unscrew (backout) from the orthopedic plate over time. Causes for screw backouts may include everyday movements of a recipient patient, screws undesirably anchored at entry angles that are not substantially perpendicular to the proximate plane of the bone, or the like, or combinations thereof. Generally, screw backouts may become problematic since the effectiveness and/or anchoring strength of a surgically implanted orthopedic plate and screw assembly may correspondingly deteriorate over time, causing a variety of possible undesirable consequences. For example, adverse affects may result to existing fractures and/or other pre-existing conditions of one or more bones, and possibly even the causation of new bone fractures. Furthermore, the screws may eventually come away from the bone and/or orthopedic plate altogether, causing further near and/or long term adverse affects to one or more bones, other new problematic conditions to one or more bones, and/or bruising and/or lacerations to areas surrounding the bone.